LARGE ANIMAL ATTACKS - Medicine for Mountaineering and Other Wilderness Activities - page 467

No other animal becomes as ferociously aggressive when infected by rabies. It seems
likely that this species' reputation for savagery is based largely on the behavior of rabid
animals.
Toavoidwolfencounterswhencampinginwolfcountry,individualsshouldcook,wash
dishes, and store food away from sleeping areas; pack out garbage and leftover food; sus-
pend food, toiletries, and garbage out of reach of any wildlife, preferably in bearproof con-
tainers; and keep pets close at all times. When watching wolves, the animals should not be
fed, they should not be approached or enticed to come closer, and they must be left a path
to escape. BC Parks in British Columbia, Canada, recommends that wolves should not be
allowed to approach any closer than 300 feet. The same agency recommends that if a wolf
actsaggressively(growlsorsnarls)orfearlessly(approacheshumanscloselywithoutfear),
the following actions should be taken:
◆ The arms, preferably with a coat, should be raised and waved to make the individual
appear larger.
◆ The person should back away slowly, without turning his back on the wolf.
◆ The individual should make noise and throw things at the wolf.
More information about wolf attacks is available at the International Wolf Center
( www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/biteprevention.html ) .
Coyotes
Coyotes have thrived and multiplied despite the onslaught of civilization, and their
range has expanded to cover almost all of North America. They have also extended into
cities. The greater Chicago area has been estimated to have a coyote population of approx-
imately 2000 animals.
Coyote attacks are uncommon, rarely cause serious injuries, and, because these animals
are relatively small, are usually directed at children. A number of attacks have occurred in
urban surroundings ranging from Los Angeles to Cape Cod. Some ofthe attacking animals
have had rabies, but a number have not.
Coyote attacks on humans have increased since 1998 in California. Several sources re-
port that forty-one attacks occurred between 1988 and 1997, but forty-eight attacks were
verified from 1998 through 2003. Most of these incidents occurred in southern California
near the suburban-wildland interface. Because they are not harassed by residents, urban
coyotes lose their fear of humans, which is worsened by people feeding coyotes. In such
situations,somecoyotesbegintoactaggressively,chasingjoggersandbicyclists,confront-
ing people walking their dogs, and stalking small children.
Only one fatal attack on a human has been recorded. In 1981 in Glendale, California,
a city of approximately 200,000 residents that is part of greater Los Angeles, a coyote at-
tacked a three-year-old girl who was playing alone in her front yard. She died in surgery as
the result of blood loss and a broken neck.